My first-ever Author’s Note chat was exactly as I’d hoped it be, thanks to the amazing people that joined in. It was a mix of authors and bookstagrammers spanning so many different parts of the country, and of course our guest-of-honor Emma Grey, calling in from Australia!
When I first had the idea to do these deep-dives with authors alongside a hand-chosen group (“the speakeasy of author talks,” I called them), Emma was the first person on my list. In fact, it was one of her author’s notes that changed the way I write, solidifying my belief that an authentic author’s note really is the best pat of a book. (More on that below!)
Emma’s latest books, The Last Love Note and Pictures of You, have been breakout successes spanning multiple continents. Case in point: She recently celebrated 50,000 ratings on Goodreads for one and a film option for the other 🤯
Emma, who lost her husband to a heart attack and later wrote a rom-com about a widow falling in love again (The Last Love Note), said something in that book’s author’s note that gave me the permission to write from my own experiences: The story may be fiction, she essentially said, but “the grief is mine.”
And in our call, she told us about her sudden anxiety before that book’s release, where she wasn’t afraid people wouldn’t like her writing but that they wouldn’t like *her grief.*
(Spoiler: It seems the opposite was true. Readers have really latched on to her authenticity.)
Publishing is scary, and publishing something so personal? Tenfold. I’m so grateful for people like Emma (and everyone in this call, some old friends and some new) that make art and life and scary things feel far more possible… and worth it.
Here are the other biggest takeaways I had from our conversation:
On her success: While it feels a bit like instant success on the outside, Emma reminded us that she’s been writing for 38 years, that she’s publishing seven books, and that she has been working as a copywriter as well as author-ing until recently.
On her process: Emma writes without an outline. 🤯 (This is particularly surprising to me, as she writes such complex plots!)
On getting the word out: She raved about her experience with her publisher Zibby here in the US and said that while she had some big wins at the beginning (like being chosen for the Book of the Month subscription and for Target’s Book of the Month Club), it’s really been bookstagrammers and readers recommending her books that have led to this sustained success.
On emotional capacity: She talked about the tension of managing authenticity with privacy, saying that’s gotten better over time. She also spoke to the tension of wanting to connect with as many people as possible while also defining boundaries with her time and emotions.
On meeting readers: She told us the story of her friend Noman, whom she met on her book tour. “This is why we write!” she said, which really stuck with me.
I had this hypothesis that if we had a small group of hand-selected folks join in, it would make for some magic connections and conversation. Thankfully, that hunch proved true! Here’s a list of the amazing book community that joined in:
Lindsey Sulek - Contemporary fiction author & entrepreneur
Sarah Johnson - @inmybookclubera, sharing reviews with spice ratings
Kitti Murray - Author, poet, and founder of Refuge Coffee Co.
Don Pape - Agent and curator of Pape Commons
Beth Morris - Contemporary fiction author & query coach
Peyton Roberts - Author of contemporary & social impact fiction
Christie York - Author of fantasy & a rom-com with some bite!
Jenn Newman - Bookstagrammer & “author cheerleader” (for real though)
Sasha Perez - Writer @ Books + Friends Substack
Sam Hackney - Bookstagrammer creating color palettes from her favorite reads
B.T. Harman - Storyteller behind Blue Babies Pink & Catlick
Melanie of LemonyReads - Bookstagrammer with lovely, *very demure* reviews
Bridget Walton - Writer of fiction & The Trash Day Tribune
Carla Quinn - Bookstagrammer with bright & colorful reviews
Nicole Hannel - A Grammy award-winning songwriter currently drafting YA
Stephanie Wilen - Bookstagrammer with bright, beachy vibes
Brett Harman - Storyteller @ The Harman Agency
DeAnna Breen - Bookstgrammer loving rom-coms & thrillers
And me, Callie Murray - Historical fiction author & entrepreneur
I hope to host more of these pop-up, small-group author chats in the months ahead. The best way to hear about them is to subscribe here, as this email list will be the first to hear about them 😎
-Callie